Delta Flows: Schwarzenegger Pushes Dangerous Amendments to Perata's Water Bond Proposal

• --The Governor strikes out important language in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) section. Essentially, the Governor’s amendments would eliminate the need for the BDCP to comply with California Endangered Species Act. This is important because it implies that BDCP will just be used like the Environmental Water Account and other “restoration” programs. Essentially these programs, rather than restoring the Delta, are used to set a (minimum) baseline level of (water) resources, and if the Delta, (a flexible ecosystem) needs more fresh water, then too bad. (Delta fresh water allocations would be set as static, when current science and water export records indicate that a good part of the Delta’s ecosystem problems have resulted from too much water being pumped out of the Delta in dry years. In addition, we once again see the Governor seeking to bypass working collaboratively with Delta stakeholders and environmental groups.)

Ms. McIntyre added, “The people in the Delta should know that this is what the Governor is pushing. Everyone else is focused on the dams, but this language would setup the final collapse of the Delta.”

Fortunately, Local Government Entities Are Stepping Up To Advocate For the Delta

At last week’s Natural Resources & Water Committee Hearing on the proposed water bonds by Senator Perata (SB2x) and Senator Cogdill (SB3x), San Joaquin County Supervisor Ken Vogel testified to the committee on the Board’s opposition to a peripheral canal or conveyance system, and the harm that it would bring to the Delta and San Joaquin County.

In fact, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors is one of the first local government entities within the Delta to recognize the threat that is being made to our community and to make such a formal statement in opposition to the peripheral canal. Moreover, the Board of Supervisors proclaimed their support for Tom Zuckerman’s plan for Regional Water Self-Sufficiency – one of the alternative visions for the Delta offered to the Blue Ribbon Task Force heading up the Delta Vision Process – a plan that Restore the Delta agrees would help to lessen water dependency on the Delta by other regions throughout the state.

Restore the Delta applauds the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors for making their position on this critical Delta issue known, and encourages other local government entities throughout the Delta to make similar statements and proclamations regarding their opposition to the peripheral canal/pipe public. We are also encouraging local Delta stakeholders to begin working with local government entities to help bring about the creation of such public statements.

And While We All Talk, The Fish Keep Dying…

While the Restore the Delta campaign advocates primarily to restore and protect fresh water levels passing through the Delta, and maintains that adequate fresh water will do a great deal to help restore the Delta’ ecosystem, we are also concerned about pollutants that also degrade water quality. Restore the Delta affirms that not one industry or group is responsible for the degradation of Delta water quality. But rather, it is a collective problem that we need to solve together through cooperation, dialogue, and positive action with a sense of urgency.

With that said, our friend and supporter, Bill Maxwell, who lives on Smith Canal sent us a disturbing series of pictures last week. After the first rain each autumn, the fish in their part of the Delta die. We have no commentary to add, as these pictures speak to us directly as to what is wrong with the Delta. But, as one child of Restore the
Delta staff asked, “Will there by any fish left?”

Restore the Delta is a grassroots campaign of residents and organizations committed to restoring the California Delta so that its waters are fishable, swimmable, drinkable, and farmable.